Their fair share

Who wouldn't want to share with this guy?

I know you might think these are nectarines you've already seen but NO!, these are ones that Zok got from high up the tree.

There isn't a lot going on here, both the weather (cloudy, bit of rain, bit of wind, not quite 65) and Zok's work load has contributed to my still trying to perserve as many nectarines as possible. While Zok is in the office; I can listen to records and cook up the nectarines. Today, I infused the syrup with lavender from the garden, I am loving the one I made with basil syrup ( eaten lately over our local, vanilla, ice-cream), but I have used up most of our garden basil, and I did need to trim back the lavender. I also used our sad, tiny strawberries to make jam.
Now that the (much taller than I) Zok is home, I finally got my hands on the really large, nectarines that were at the top of the tree just beyond my reach-well beyond meaning further up than my standing on the step of the ladder that warns one not to stand on that step.
There were some really good ones, but mostly the birds had gotten to them. I continue to line up the pecked ones along the border near the bird bath, and a few of the smarter birds (yellow-throated honey eater, rosella) have taken advantage of this arrangement, but most continue to taunt me by landing in the tree and casually eating one or two bites and then hopping over to the next nectarine, as if they only care to eat the reddiest bit of each one.
I am all for the birds having their faire share, and honestly today I took about a dozen to a neighbor I barely know because I can't stand to see them go to waste. Myself, I can't seem to eat less than three a day. There are still so many on the counter top in the kitchen that I can smell them from my bed as I am falling asleep.